Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

THE HARROWING TRUE STORY OF ONE OF THE GREATEST SEA RESCUES IN HISTORY.

In 1995, Hurricane Roxanne ravaged the Gulf of Mexico, with 90 mph winds and waves up to forty feet. Off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Derrick Lay Barge 269 and its tugboats sat exposed, laying an undersea pipeline. Then, out of nowhere, the maelstrom called Roxanne changed course -- and headed straight for them.

This is the true account of survival in the midst of a hell at sea, as hundreds of men fought a heroic battle against the unrelenting elements to save each other's lives against impossible odds. They were not trained, or paid, or even prepared for such a life-and-death struggle. But those ordinary men, trapped in extraordinary circumstances, exemplified the very best humanity could hope to offer. Told for the first time, this is their story -- and a celebration of their courage.

Review

Publishers Weekly

Thrilling....Viscerally recaptured.

Synopsis

The true story of a vicious hurricane, the hundreds of men it cast into the sea, and the three tugboat captains who miraculously saved them. In 1995, Derrick Lay Barge 269 was off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula when Hurricane Roxanne passed by. Winds soon reached a screaming ninety miles per hour, the seas climbed to over thirty feet, and 245 men abandoned ship-- incredibly, only eight were lost. Krieger depicts the bravery of the tugboats' captains and crews as they battled huge waves to pluck individuals out of the sea, trying to prevent them being sucked into the deadly propellers.

Synopsis

THE HARROWING TRUE STORY OF ONE OF THE GREATEST SEA RESCUES IN HISTORY.

In 1995, Hurricane Roxanne ravaged the Gulf of Mexico, with 90 mph winds and waves up to forty feet. Off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Derrick Lay Barge 269 and its tugboats sat exposed, laying an undersea pipeline. Then, out of nowhere, the maelstrom called Roxanne changed course -- and headed straight for them.

This is the true account of survival in the midst of a hell at sea, as hundreds of men fought a heroic battle against the unrelenting elements to save each other's lives against impossible odds. They were not trained, or paid, or even prepared for such a life-and-death struggle. But those ordinary men, trapped in extraordinary circumstances, exemplified the very best humanity could hope to offer. Told for the first time, this is their story -- and a celebration of their courage.

About the Author

Michael Krieger writes on a wide variety of subjects, most of which are wholly or partly concerned with ships or the sea. His articles have been syndicated in more than 200 newspapers by Universal Press Syndicate, and have appeared in Sea History -- the magazine of the National Maritime Historical Society -- and other American and European magazines. He lives in Washington State.